Warrington's Own Buses

[Katie]

RE: WBT Network Warrington
I am a new member and hope that everyone will give me guidance where necessary. There appears to be a lot of Network Warrington bashing and I would like to give my views. I feel that Network Warrington deserve credit for not escalating the bus ware with GHA on the 45/46 routes. As is common knowledge NW are withdrawing the 45 service from the 1st September but will continue with the 46. There will be 13 journeys per day from Warrington (only 3 trips will runs five minutes before GHA and most of the others will leave the interchange on the hour which is 25 minutes after the GHA timetables). As far as I understand the 46 route will be the existing one but will also take in Lostock Gralam and Wincham which are part of the 45. I see it that from 1st September Network Warrington will be - Warrington/Stretton/Comberbach/Anderton/Northwich/Lostock Gralam/Wincham/Lostock Gralam/ Northwich/Anderton/Comberbach/Stretton/Warrington. In addition there will be an 8.30 a.m. service nod. 46 from Warrington which will terminate at Stretton returning from there at 8.58 a.m. I have found it extremely easy to contact Network Warrington simply by going to their website pressing contact and sending an email. I have always received a prompt and courteous reply. This is in contrast to a number of interest forwarded for instance to GHA since they entered Warrington to which unfortunately I have never received the courtesy of an acknowledgement never mind a reply. I have nothing whatsoever against Fairbrothers but, of course, as has already been pointed out they only run during peak hours. In fact on the Orford 21 service I think I am correct in saying they only run between the hours of 9.00 a.m. and 2.00 p.m. together with one trip from Warrington at 3.55 p.m. They do not run a Saturday, Sunday or Bank Holiday service on this route. I take it that the reason why is that it is simply uneconomical to do so - as pointed out by the NW driver - NW provide a service from 5.00 a.m. in a morning until 11.00 p.m. at night Monday to Saturday as well of course as a Sunday and Bank Holiday service - I suppose that one way that NW could keep their fares down is to withdraw many more services and whilst I agree that NW fares are no doubt a little on the steep side surely for all the reasons mentioned previously they are unable to sustain the cheap fares which Fairbrothers seem able to do by providing only services on limited busy routes. From my observations GHA do not appear to be carrying many passengers on the 16/16A routes and NW's problem to my mind on this route has been their timetable. This of course is being amended from the 1st September.